The sun had almost dipped below the horizon by the time Arriel, Lira, and Kell reached the outskirts of Veilden. The trio moved swiftly yet carefully through the emptying streets, carrying the unconscious elf girl between them. Lira kept a steady hand on the girl's forehead, maintaining the healing magic that kept her stable after the rescue.
"We're almost at the clinic," Kell panted, shifting the girl's weight slightly.
"Keep her elevated," Lira instructed. "She's still under my Sleep spell, but she should wake soon."
The healer's clinic stood near the center of town, its lights still glowing even at this late hour. Arriel pushed the door open with his shoulder, and a small bell rang above them. A female healer mage in a sea-green robe turned from the counter.
Her eyes widened. "What happened?"
"She's an elf," Arriel said quickly. "She was kidnapped by bandits. We rescued her from a cave near the forest. Please, check her."
The healer led them into a side room. Lira gently laid the elf girl down on the cushioned bed, brushing the hair from her face.
The healer waved a small crystalline wand over the girl's body, murmuring softly. A dim blue light traced over her skin.
"No serious injuries," the healer finally said. "Her vitals are strong. She's under magical sleep, but not from harm—it's stable. I expect she'll wake naturally soon."
"And her dignity?" Lira asked quietly, voice tense.
The healer looked up at her, solemn. "Intact."
Lira let out a long breath of relief.
Kell stood straighter. "Then we'll leave her in your care for now. Please keep her comfortable. We'll return soon."
With that, Arriel and Kell rushed toward the Adventurer's Guild while Lira stayed behind, her eyes never leaving the girl's sleeping form.
---
The scene outside the guild was chaos.
Dozens of adventurers had gathered in a loose crowd, murmuring among themselves. A hooded man stood confidently near the entrance, the body of Reguldi—wrapped crudely in a cloth sack—at his feet. His status bracelet shimmered unnaturally bright in the dark, the glowing number 36 visible to all.
Arriel froze in his tracks.
"…That can't be…"
"He must've waited for us to weaken him." Kell muttered grimly.
They pushed through the crowd just in time to see Townlord Hashiel and several officials from the Royal Governor's Office arrive.
A clerk carrying a rectangular magical scanner stepped forward. "Please hold out your Hero pendant," she requested.
The hooded man complied silently. The moment the pendant touched the scanner, a blue screen shimmered into view above it.
Name: Zem
Age: 23
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Occupation: Adventurer
Status: Hero
Level: 36
Criminal Record: Not Found
"Identification confirmed," the clerk announced. "Bounty terms fulfilled. Authorization to issue reward: 20,000 Git."
Hashiel stepped forward, handing Zem a sealed pouch heavy with coins. "The Kingdom thanks you, Hero Zem, for eliminating the threat of the rogue hero Reguldi."
Zem took the pouch with a calm smile. His gaze turned toward Arriel, and their eyes locked.
He smiled.
It was not a smile of gratitude. Not relief. But calculation. Cold, predatory, and knowing.
Arriel's fists clenched.
Kell placed a hand on his shoulder. "Not now. Not here."
Zem gave a mocking bow to the crowd, then turned and strolled away, whistling as if the whole scene had been a game.
Several guild officials moved to take Reguldi's corpse away for proper management.
Arriel and Kell stood in the silence of the dissipating crowd.
"…We didn't kill him," Kell muttered. "But we did the hard work."
"He waited for us to leave," Arriel replied, "then stole the kill—and the level."
"And the Git." Kell added.
"…Let's go back. Lira's waiting."
---
At the clinic, they found Lira seated beside the bed. The elf girl was awake now, her green eyes wide but calm. She was sitting up, draped in a soft blanket, with Lira gently patting her hand.
"You're back," Lira said with relief. "She just woke up a few minutes ago."
Arriel smiled. "How are you feeling?"
The elf girl looked at him, her voice faint. "I… think I'm okay. Who are you?"
"We're the ones who found you," Kell said kindly. "I'm Kell. This is Arriel. And she's Lira."
"You're safe now," Lira added softly. "We'll take you somewhere more comfortable. If you're alright with it… would you come stay with us for a while?"
The elf girl hesitated, then nodded.
"Thank you…"
---
The night fell completely as they returned to their home. Lira helped settle the girl in one of the spare rooms. She quickly fell asleep again, this time peacefully.
In the living room, the trio sat quietly.
"That guy… Zem," Arriel said darkly. "I don't trust him."
"He's dangerous," Kell agreed.
"We better keep our eyes open." Lira added.
They all looked toward the hallway where the elf girl now slept.
There were questions unanswered. But for tonight, they were all safe.